Pickling apparatus



April 1931- s. WILLIAMS PICKLING APPARATUS Filed May 28, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l "III N INVENTDR HTTU NEY April 14, 1931. s L wlLLlAMS 1,801,063

PI CKLING APPARATUS Filed May 28, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STEPHEN It. WILLIAMS, F BRIDGEPORT, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO EXTRU'DED METAL PROD- lUCTS COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT,

OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO PICKLIING APPARATUS Application filed Kay 28,

This invention relates broadly to pickling apparatus, and more specifically to a mechanism for pickling metal rods, bars, tubing and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide, in association with companion pickling tanks," improved apparatus for ef-. fecting raising and lowering of the material to be pickled with respect to the pickling w fluid contained by said tanks.

A further object is to provide, in association with companion tanks, two sets or series of chains, one for each tank, dis osed in the "form of catenary loops adapted or receiving therein the material to be pickled, .said two series of chains being operable independently, one of the other, to effect lowering and elevating movements of the carried material with respect to the pickling baths.

A still further object is to provide pickling apparatus of the character mentioned embodying power mechanism for effecting lowering and elevating movements of the carrier chains and wherein said mechanism has associated therewith anautomatic control comprising a limit switch and a cut-off timing device, whereby the material acted upon in each tank is elevated from the bath following a predetermined definite time interval of submersion in the bath and is again low-' ered into the bath following a predetermined definite time interval of drainage of the pickling fluid from the elevated material.

It will be understood that in prior pickling structures of the general t pe herein disclosed, the chain carriers 0 the two tanks have been raised and lowered alternatelythat is to say, the carriers of one tank are elevated in lowering movement of the other, and vice versa. Such. operation is objectionable in that the time during which the ma terial of each carrier is. exposed to the atmosphere. equals that during which said material is submerged in the pickling bath with the result that excessive oxidation of said exposed material is permitted.

The noted objection to such prior structures is overcome in employing the instant invention wherein the material carriers of both tanks remain in lowered material-sub- 1930.. Serial No. 456,450.

merging'position throughout any predetermined desired length of time, or interval, followed by alternate and independent elevation thereof to exposed material-draining positions which latter are maintained only during such lesser predetermined intervals as may be necessary.

With these and other objects in view, the. invention resides in the featuresof construction, arrangement of parts and combinations of elements which will hereinafter be described, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which- F igure, 1 is a top plan view ofthe invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse section on line 2-2, Fig. 1; c

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the outer chain-supporting columns;

Figure 4 is an enlarged top plan view of a 70 length of the gear-carrying rotary shaft with one of its bearings; and t Figure 5 is a sectional elevation, the section being taken on line 55, Fig. 4.

Referring to said drawings, 1 and 1 designate companion tanks for containing the acid bath employed in metal pickling, said tanks being disposed in suitably spaced parallel relation. Interposed in alined relation between said tanks is a plurality of supports, as upright columns 2, upon which are mounted bearings 3. Journaled in said bearings is a longitudinally extending rotary shaft 4 which has rotatably mounted thereon at opposite sides of each of said bearings 3 sproc et wheels 5 and 5. Also rotatable on said shaft and occupying fixed ralation to said sprocket wheels 5 and 5 on the non-confronting sides of the latter are members 6 and 6 of clutches of dent-a1 type; and fixed on said shaft in cooperative relation to said clutch members 6 and 6 respectively, are clutch members 7 and 7.

Attached, as at 13, to peripheral portions of the sprocket wheels 5 are the inner ends of sprocket chains 8 which extend transversely of the tank l and have their outer ends attached to brackets 9 mounted upon upright columns 10 arranged adjacent to the outer side of said tank. Likewise, sprocket chains 100 8' have their inner ends attached to peripheral carried by carried lengths of tubing 11 is portions of the their opposite carried by columns 10' arranged adjacent to the outer side of tank 1'.

The two series of chains crossing the tanks are of catenary loop form, having such length that, in their lowered positions, the loops depend within and adjacent to the bottoms of the tanks, as is best shown in Fig. 2.

The material to be pickled, shown at lengths of tubing 11, is disposed lengthwise of the tanks upon the carriers constituted by the two series of chains 8 and 8'. In the normal position of the shaft 4, both of the carriers occupy their lowered positions wherein the thereby-carried tubes are wholly submerged in the acid pickling baths of the tanks. When one carrier, as that constituted by the chains 8, is to be elevated, as for draining the pickling fluid from the tubing and for changmg the relative positions of the tubes to permit the fluid to have direct access to all surfaces of said tubes power mechanism, which includes an electric motor 12 arranged in suitably geared driving relation to the shaft 4, is actuated to rotate said shaft to the left, or in the direction which efiects cooperative interengagement between the clutch members 6 and 7. Following such interengagement, the sprocket wheels 5 are rotated w1th said shaft and carry thereon the as; acent end portions of the carrier chains 8 un elevation of the latter to substantially the extent shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 is effected. In the normal lowered position of the carrier chains 8, laterally directed pins 14-. the sprocket wheels 5 occupy seated positions upon appropriately located fixed parts, as upon arms or lugs 15 carried by the bearings 3, said pins and said lugs cooperating to limit the extent of lowering movement of the carrier chains 8 and also to relieve the carrier elevating and lowering mechanism of the strain imposed by the suspended weight of the load during the interval in which the latter'occupies its said lowered position.

In the elevating movement of the carrier chains, the relative positions of the therebynecessarily changed to some extent due to the shortening of the loops and the force of gravity acting upon the piled tubing. Further, rolling of the tubing is caused by engagement with some of the lengths thereof of proj ectingluglike portions'l6 formed on some of the links of the carrier chains, as shown.

sprocket wheels 5' and have In the elevating and lowering movements of the carrier chains 8, the carrier chains 8' are in no wise disturbed, the shaft 4 being freely rotatable within the limits required in such movements without changing the positions of the sprocket wheels 5 to which said ends attached to brackets 9' from time to time, the

- position chains 8'. are attached. When, however, the shaft 4 is rotated to the right from its normal at rest positioninshown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5,

the clutch mem rs 6' and 7 cooperatively interengage so that the sprocket wheels 5' are caused to rotate with the shaft. This effects elevation of the carrier chains 8 precisely as has hereinbefore been described with 1 respect to the carrier chains 8. Cooperating limit and rest pins 14' and lugs 15' are carried by the sprocket wheels 5 and bearings 3, respectively, precisely as hereinbefore described with respect to the carrier mechanism associated with tank 1.

Associated with the motor is an automatic control comprising a definite time relay 17 and a limit switch 18, whereby at definitely timed intervals the shaft 4 is actuated, first,

to rotate in one direction throughout a definite part of a revolution, as 340 degrees, for elevating the carrier chains and the thereby-carried material from the pickling bath of one of the tanks; second, to remain stationary during a definite time interval for permitting pickling fluid to drain from said material; third, to reverse for returning said carrier chains and their load into submerged within the pickling bath; fourth, to continue said reverse rotation either with or without an intervening time interval, as may be preferred, for elevating the submerged material of the other tank from the bath of the latter; fifth, to remain stationary throughout a definite draining sixth, to return to normal position for lowerin said elevated material to a submer edpositlon within the last mentioned t Both the, definite time relay 17 and the limit switch 18 constituting the automatic control hereinbefore referred to may be of any suitable commercial or preferred forms, or types, adapted to open and close the electric circuit to the motor 12 at definitely timed intervals for effecting the above described cycle of movements with definitely timed rest intervals intervening. As herein shown, a striker arm or cam 19 is carried by the shaft 4 in a position to engage a member 20of the limit switch 18 at definite points in the forward and reverse rotation of the shaft for shifting forward and reverse contacts (not shown) of the latter to operative positions in proper sequence.

What is claimed is- 1. In a pickling apparatus, companion pickling tanks a rotary shaft. ]0u1 'naled intermediate said tanks, a series of flexible carrier elements arranged transversely of each tank, rotary means carried by said shaft in I interval, and, v

ments being disposed in the form of loops ada ted for the reception of the material to e pickled, and means for actuati timed rotary movements of said shaft for independently elevating and lowering the two series of carrier elements relative to their respective tanks.

2. In a pickling apparatus, companion pickling tanks, a rotary shaft journaled intermediate said tanks, a series of flexible carrier elements arranged transversely of each tank, rotary means carried by said shaft in supporting winding relation to the inner end portions of each of the two series of carrier elements, means for supporting the outer ends of each of said series of carrier elements, said elements being disposed in the form of loops adapted for the reception of the material to be pickled, clutch elements interengageable for rendering each of said rotary means rotatable with said shaft in certain rotary movements of the latter and permitting said rotary means to .remain stationary in certain other movements of said shaft, and means for actuating timed forward and reverse rotary movements of said shaft whereby are effected in timed sequence elevating and lowering movements of the two series ofcarrier elements, the said movements of each series being independent of those of the other.

3. In combination with companion pickling baths, a series of flexible chains disposed transversely over each of said baths, fixed supports for the outer ends of said chains, rotary supporting means for said chains located between said baths, the last mentioned means comprising a rotary shaft and sprocket wheels carried by said shaft and upon each of which a chain is trained, and means for actuating timed forward and reverse rotary movements of said shaft whereby rotary movements areimparted to said wheels for effecting in timed sequence elevating and lowering movements of said.

two series of chains relative to said baths, said actuating means including means to render the movements of each series independent of those of the other.

4. In combination with companion pickling baths, a series of flexible chains disposed transversely over each of said baths, fixed supports for the outer ends of said chains, a rotary shaft journaled between said baths, sprocket wheels carried by said shaft, one for each chain, each of said sprocket wheels having the adjacent end of a chain trained thereover, interengageable clutch elements interposed between each of said wheels and said shaft, said elements allowing a definite range of free rotary movement of the shaft with re spect to each of said wheels, and means for actuating timed forward and reverse rotary movements of said shaft whereby are imparted in timed sequence to the wheels carrying each series of chains rotary movements for effecting elevating and lower'ng movements of said chains relative to said aths.

5. In a pickling apparatus, companion pickling tanks,a series of carrier chains ex; tending transversely of each tank, fixed supports for the outer ends of said chains, rotary sup orting means for the inner ends of said ciiains, said means being located intermediate said tanks, the chains of each series havin portions thereof intermediate their ends disposed in the form of catenary loops, said rotary supporting means comprising a shaft and rotary means carried by said shaft, said chains being trained over and windable with respect to said rotary means, and means including interengageable elements for actuating timed rotary movements of said shaft and of said rotary means for independently elevating and lowering the two series of chains relative to'their respective tanks.

6. In a ickling apparatus, companion pickling tan s, bearings mounted intermediate said tanks, a shaft journaled in said bearings, a series of carrier elements arranged transversely of each tank, rotary means carried by said shaft in supporting windable relation to the inner end portions ofeach of the carrier elements of the two series, members borne by said rotary means adapted to seat with respect to portions of said bearings for limiting the extent of rotation of said rotary means, means supporting the outer ends of the carrier elements of each series, said carrier elements depending rela tive to said tanks in the form .of catenary loops adapted for the reception of material to be pickled, and means for actuating rotary movements of said shaft in timed sequence whereby are effected elevating and lowering movements of said two series of carrier elements.

7. In a pickling apparatus, pickhng tanks, a rotary shaft journaled intermediate said tanks, a series of carrier chains arranged transversely of each tank in supporting windable relation to the inner end portions of each of the chains of the two series, means supportingthe outer ends of the chains of eac series, said chains dependcompanion ing relative to said tanks in the form of catenary loops adapted for the reception of materlal to be pickled,interengageable clutch elements intermediate said shaft and each of said windable means, and means for actuatmg said shaft to engage and disengage said clutch elements and to produce ima definite cycle of independent rotary movements elevatlng and lowering movements of said chains.

-8. In a pickling apparatus"*companion pickling tanks, a rotary shaft j ournaled intermedlate said. tanks, a series of carrier chalns arranged transversely .of each tank in supporting windable relation to the inner endportions of each of the chains of the two series, means supporting the outer ends of the chains of each series, said chains depending relative to said tanks in the form of catenary loops adapted for the reception of material to be pickled, interengageable clutch elements intermediate said shaft and each of said windable means, driving means for said shaft, and electrical control means whereby said driving means is actuated in a timed sequence of forward and reverse rotary movements to efi'ect elevating and lowering movements of said two series of chains.

9. In a pickling apparatus, companion I I pickling tanks, a series of flexible carrier elements supported in catenary loop form over each tank, rotary means constituting supports for one of the ends of the carrier elements of each series, and means for actuating forward and reverse movements of said rotary means and effecting independently reciprocations of said two series of carrier elements relative to their respective tanks.

10. In a pickling apparatus, companion pickling tanks, a series of flexible carrier elements supported in catenary loop form over each tank, rotary means constituting supports for one of the ends of the carrier elements of each series, and means for actuating timed forward and reverse movements of said rotary supporting means for effecting in timed sequence raising and lowering movements of the carrier elements of the two series, said actuating means including means to render the movements of each series independent of those of the other series.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

STEPHEN L. WILLIAMS. 

